WHEREAS there are many communities that have inadequate support for citizens with mental illness and those who have dual diagnosis with addiction issues in need of mental health services, and have a higher risk of homelessness and other health related issues; AND WHEREAS many members of our communities are unable to function and participate safely and fully in society and require a safe haven such as a drop-in centre: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be urged to expand services and funding for people with mental illness and addictions, especially in small and midsize communities, where seed monies to fund not for profit, day programs, street support workers, recreation programs and nutrition programs are critically lacking.
Ministry of Health Services Ministry of Social Development The Ministry of Health Services the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, health authorities, municipalities and community agencies, is committed to providing a range of evidence-based services and supports for people with mental illness including those who also have concurrent mental health and substance use problems. It is well recognized that people with concurrent disorders are more frequently homeless and many experience severe medical, social and economic challenges that are complex. Regional health authorities are actively involved in supporting this client population through the implementation of the Homelessness Intervention Project HIP, a cross-ministry integrated initiative establishing integrated and coordinated outreach teams in five communities in Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, Kelowna, and Prince George. Through integrated community teams, the benefits of existing facilities and services is maximized by placing a priority on this client population for housing and support services, access to mental health and substance use treatment, and coordinated community resources based on individual needs. Further, in British Columbia there are currently eight Assertive Community Treatment ACT teams including two newly established teams in Vancouver. ACT provides community-based, assertive care to individuals with severe mental illness including those who may also have a substance use problem. Services are provided from a multi-disciplinary team based model, addressing the range of services an individual requires. In BC we are beginning to see promising results with individuals who have experienced difficulties finding and maintaining housing, as the ACT team members are able to work directly with landlords, housing support organisations and BC Housing while also providing appropriate treatment and behaviour management interventions. Although the development of the HIP integrated community teams and the ACT teams have been directed to the larger urban communities where the problems are highly visible and concentrated, it is anticipated that the learning gained from implementing these services can be transferable to other housing and support services in small or mid-sized communities. In addition provincial standards for ACT in both urban and rural settings have been established by the Ministry. Also, health authorities work with community partners including municipalities and community based non-profit organizations that are often well placed to provide a flexible and responsive range of supports customized to meet the needs of this client population. Health authorities partner with non-profit organizations in communities throughout the province to provide a broad range of services and supports including residential care, supported housing, clubhouses, day programs, outreach services, psycho-social rehabilitation, recreation and nutrition support programs. An example of this partnership in Sechelt is the Olympic Legacy Housing initiative which through a combination of BC Housing funding, community gaming grant funding and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority funding to Sunshine Coast Community Services Society and the Arrowhead Centre Society will result in eight temporary modular homes from the Olympic village in Whistler being turned into permanent affordable housing and the development of a clubhouse. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority provides a full continuum of mental health and substance use services including prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention, withdrawal management detoxification services, support and outreach through hospitals and community based clinics, and intensive day and residential treatment and support recovery programs. The service delivery is built on the principle that Every Door is the Right Door. Similar to all health authorities, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority-funded mental health and substance use service providers are able to make referrals to provincial mental health and substance use treatment services for those individuals who have concurrent disorders and resulting complex care and behavioral needs beyond the services that are available within their own community or health region. An example of a provincial service for people with concurrent disorders is the 100 bed Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction which opened in July 2008. The Burnaby Centre is specifically designed to provide services for adult clients from across BC who suffer from severe substance use disorders andor mental illness, as well as physical health issues. The mental health and addictions sector operating expenditures for 200809 were approximately 1.2 billion. This equates to an increase of more than 42 per cent over the 200001 total of 851.4 million.